


Burn With Me

by Lil_keet



Category: The 100 (TV), The 100 Series - Kass Morgan, clexa - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Bodyguard AU, Clexa Endgame, Eventual Smut, F/F, Multi, Sexual Tension, Slow Burnish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-08-03 07:47:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16322099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_keet/pseuds/Lil_keet
Summary: Lexa Woods, big name body guard, the best in the business. To live is to serve, to serve is to protect. What happens when she fails to keep a client  safe?After losing her client to a lone assassin,Lexa Woods vows to never work again. After months spent in her secluded lake side cabin Anya comes to Lexa with a job. To protect one Clarke Griffin, international pop sensation.Will she take the job? Better yet does Clarke even want her there?





	1. To Be Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, this happened. Just bored really, but also I'm a major nerd so here's my word vomit. Hope you enjoy it.

April 2016

There was something calming in the way the rain hit the lake house old tin roof. The way the sound would bounce off the walls, encasing Lexa as she lay amongst ruffled sheets, arm propped behind her head as she stared blankly at the ceiling. It was like white noise, soothing, calming. The window cracked, just enough so that she could smell the rain, sweet, intoxicating, pure.

It had been months of isolation in her tiny lakeside cabin. Like a bear hibernating for the winter she lost all point of contact to the outside world. The phone had been disconnected and thrown swiftly out the kitchen window. The television a relic, collecting dust, had a dead pot plant she still watered daily sitting upon it. The radio was her fathers, but reception was hard to come by. Her only source of entertainment for the winter was the old record player and the large book case, shelving mostly historical biographies, her Fathers personal collection.  
She would on occasion venture out onto the frozen lake, a spot of ice fishing and a six pack of Heineken. She did not do this often, felt like too much of a good time. The evenings she would have the fire going a glass of whiskey in one hand and a book in the other. When she grew bored of reading she played chess, something that would chew away at the hours. She had discovered that she was a fierce opponent. Well as fierce as one could be when playing against yourself.

Finally, the snow had all but turned the ground into sludge, and puddles of mud and the ice melted away, spring creeping up on her by mid-March. She had become slightly stir crazy, locked away in the small two-bedroom cabin. The first chance she got she set out on a three-day exhibition into the heart of the woods, hunting, surviving off the land. It was primal, and Lexa reveled in it.

She had more sensed the change of weather than saw it. She had always sworn that her knees ached before rain. So with her hunting trip a success, Lexa set off back home. And that night as she sat on the front porch eating her kill the heavens opened. 

Laying in bed Lexa had come accustomed to her sleepless nights, had come accustom to the horrors she would witness when her eyes finally gave into her own bodies will. She had tried suppressing them with whiskey and tequila. And when that didn’t work, she’d tried the sleeping pills her Dr had prescribed before she had left DC. They worked for a while, but when they ran out, stubbornly she had refused to drive take the 2-hour drive into the nearest town to get another prescription. In truth she hadn’t been back into town for over month and a half. 

The rain gets heavy and her eyes begin to respond to its calming call. She fights for as long as she can, she has always loved the sound of the rain. When her eyes close, for a brief second, she feels at peace.  
The sound of car tires on gravel rips her from her sleep. A cold sweet had forming along her brows. Lexa springs from her bed and hastily grabs her shot gun from behind the bed frame. She Makes a beeline for living room window, sees the silver Prius slowing to a stop behind her truck. Her heart in her throat she exhales a shaky breath she had not realised she had been holding.  
Her body coursing with adrenaline she kicks the screen door open and jumps off the porch just as the intruder opens the car door. Lexa Fires a warning shot. The stranger ducks behind the car door.

“JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! LEXA ITS ME PUT THE FUCKING GUN AWAY!” The woman’s voice is like a cool slap across Lexa’s face.  
“This is private Property. You’re trespassing!” Lexa calmly yells back, her gun aimed and at the ready.

“Last time I checked, that was my name on the letterbox too!” the woman seems pissed now, irritated  
A beat of silence passes and slowly, still unsure whether she’s about to be blown apart, her hands up to show she’s no threat, the woman stands. Lexa watches calmly, almost bored.

“You look like shit.” The woman finally says, and blinks as if surprised to have said her thoughts out loud.

“Yeah and you look just about the same as the last time we spoke.”

“Last time we spoke, you sucker punched me and I had a black eye for weeks. So how about you put the fucking gun down and we go inside and talk.” The woman returns Lexa’s cold stare.

Finally, Lexa breaks, a small smirk slowly taking over her face, “Yeah well you pissed me off.” Lexa lowers her gun and makes her away over to the car. The woman’s shoulders slumps in relief and she slams the car door close.  
The woman reaches out for Lexa and pulls her in for a hug, she squeezes and Lexa pats her back awkwardly

“Alright Anya,” Lexa clears her throat, “That’s enough.” 

Anya bristles and backs up, giving them both space. Lexa takes her in. In truth Anya had not changed, not in the slightest. Her hair dirty blonde and impeccably pulled back in a tight braid. Dressed in uniform, standard attire for those in the business of personal body guards, a light blue tie, (Anya’s favourite one). Sun glasses pushed atop her head.

“So are we going to go inside to talk or are you going stand around with our dicks out.” Anya breaks the tension.

“I see you’ve maintained your crude sense of humour. Charming.” Lexa rolls her eyes and leads Anya towards the cabin.  
Anya scoffs, “I’m not paid to be charming Lex.”

“Clearly.” Lexa deadpans. She stops in front of the screen door. “Shoes off”

“Seriously.?” Anya complains but complies as Lexa blocks the entrance shot gun resting on her shoulder.

“Fucking…. Can’ believe… the nerve.” Anya mumbles half-heartedly to herself. 

Once shoes are off and placed by the front door they continue. For a moment Anya takes the cabin in, she had not been back since their father had passed away her Senior year at college. He had left it to the sisters to share in his will, but the memories of him had been too painful. She had all but signed her rights over to Lexa it was her younger sisters now. It smelled old and musty, like the first day of summer after spending months locked up they would have to ‘air the place out”

Anya swallows heavily. “It hasn’t changed.” She looks to the pictures on the walls and smiles sadly. Her mother and father smile back. Frozen in times, in a memory forever captured.

Lexa disappears silently behind her bedroom door, hastily she pulls on a pair of jeans sitting at the end of the bed and smells a black t-shirt before pulling it over her wild mane.

“I see you took mum and dads room.” Anya comments with a hint of mirth in her voice.  
Lexa just raises a single brow as if challenging her older sister. She walks to the kitchen Anya in tow.  
She pours herself a glass of bourbon and offers Anya a glass. Her sister shakes her head, eye brows creased.  
Lexa takes a swig from her glass and after a contemplative silence she says “Well Mum and Dad aren’t around anymore Anya. The dead are gone, life goes on.” Lexa downs the remainder of her glass and refills it.

“Well that’s rich coming from you isn’t it Lex. Maybe take some of your own advice kid.” Anya leans against the kitchen bench arms crossed.

“Anya” Lexa says warningly, “Don’t.”

“No Lexa, don’t what? You’re a god damn mess. You smell like you haven’t showered in weeks. Seriously kid its time to…”  
Jade eyes flash in white hot anger. “To what Anya? Why are you here, you haven’t been to the lake house since Dad died? Thought maybe you’d get the hint. I want to be left alone.”

“You don’t call, you don’t text, email, nothing. I had to call that twat of a Sherrif to check come check on you like a child left to her own devices.” Anya pushes off the bench.

“I’m fine Anya, I’m facing this my way.” Lexa grits and takes a step into Anya’s space the height difference much more noticeable.

“Looks an awful lot like running away from where I’m standing kid.”  
Lexa bites back her response grinds her teeth, her jaw twitching. Fists balled by her sides, nostrils flared neither of them ready to back down. Its always been like this, one of them says something to rile the other up, whether the other takes the bait has always been the game. 

Something dark crosses Lexa’s face a flash of something Anya has never seen on her sisters face before. Lexa sighs her wild angry sea green eyes looking away. Lexa takes a step back and reaches for her glass and downs it.  
“Why are you really here Anya? I’m not in the mood for games.” Lexa pours another glass.

“No you’re to busy drinking at 9am on a weekday.”

Lexa stops mid pour, looks over to her sister’s judgmental glare. Just as quickly as she had poured it into her glass Lexa pours the glass into the sinks and slams the glass down.

“Are we happy now?” Lexa says lips pursed hand on hip.

“Ecstatic.” Anya mumbles and turns her back on the younger Woods sister to make a fresh pot of coffee.

“By all means make yourself at home.” Lexa bites back but Anya ignores her going about the kitchen like she had when they were kids  
Lexa watches on in silences taking her sister in once again. She looks good, healthy, her shoulders seem straighter. When the coffee is brewed and Anya has poured them both a mug she carries them out towards the porch. Lexa follows in silence. They sit by the porch swing and drink from their mugs. No one speaks. They just sit in each others presence. 

Something about it is so familiar, they had done this on the job countless times, early mornings and late at night. They sit there a while as a cool morning breeze rustles though the trees and the birds sing their morning songs.  
This is nice Lexa thinks as she sips gingerly on her coffee. The coffee was burnt, Anya had always sucked at brewing a decent pot, but for the sake of silence Lexa drank it. The silence was nice, her sisters presence was nice, the breeze on her face, the sun in the sky. It was all too nice. And Lexa was sure that she was not supposed to have nice good things, not after everything that had happened.  
So she clears her throat and breaks the nice silence. “Been to any games recently?” It’s an easy out and she knows it. It’s one thing they could talk for hours over. And they do. The spend the morning talking about basketball, arguing light heartedly, like they used to. Lexa even manages a small chuckle.

When lunch time rolls around Lexa disappears back inside the house and rustles up a couple of sandwiches before returning back to her sister on the porch. Anya is looking at her phone brows knitted together in frustration.

“No reception?” Lexa asks as she hands over a P&J sandwich.

“Not a single god damn bar.” Anya takes the sandwich and shoves the phone back into her pocket inside her suit.

“Got someone you need calling?” Anya doesn’t miss the double meaning behind the words.  
Anya waves her hand is dismiss “Just work stuff. You know how it is.”  
Lexa does, or rather did knew how it went. But something in her sisters’ tone didn’t quite convince her it was just work thing. Lexa offers a single raised brow in response and continues to eat her sandwich. 

“So, you never answered my question form earlier.” Lexa remarks, her face calm and collected.  
“Yeah and what’s that?” Anya plays dumb and her words are muffled as she takes another bite of her sandwich.

“What you’re doing out here, what exactly it is you want.” Lexa leans back in her seat her eyes never leaving her sisters face, reading her every movement. From the way Anya’s back stiffens to the way she avoids Lexas’ gaze.

“Maybe I just missed seeing your ugly mutt.” Anya shrugs her shoulders and smirks.  
Lexa just shakes her head and sighs, running her hand through her hair in frustration.

“Doubtful.” Lexa mutters but smirks back.  
Anya finishes her sandwich and turns to her, all jokes aside, concern crosses her face. “I did though, miss you that is, Lex. After we had that fight...”

“Ahn,..” Lexa interrupts.  
“No Lex let me say this. After we had that fight and you left, it.. It took me a while, but I understand, you needed time. Time to heal, to move on. There’s a reason why I haven’t been back here to since dad died.”

Lexa nods slowly in understanding as Anya continues, “You gave me time, so I figured I’d give you time too.”

“But?” Lexa says with a knowing look.  
Anya smirks, “But you’re a stubborn pain in my ass and its been 5 months of absolute radio silence. I was worried. You’re still my kid sister, no matter how old you are. I wanted to check in and I knew the only way of making sure you were alive was if I marched my sorry ass out here and looked at you myself.” 

Lexa just looks at her passively, absorbing her words, contemplating her next move.

“And what’s your conclusion then?’ Lexa says as she stands to stretch. She offers out a hand to Anya. Anya looks at her extended hand for a brief second before grasping it and nearly having her arm ripped out of her socket.

“Like I said before you look like shit.” Anya gives a quick playful jab it her sisters arm.  
Lexa smirks and jokingly replies, “Careful Ahn, wouldn’t want to have to give you another shiner.” 

‘Pfft, it was a cheap shot and you know it.” Anya bites back

“Whatever gets you to sleep at night.” Lexa chuckles as she saunters off towards the dock.  
Anya follows before giving a playful shove to the younger womans’ back. 

“Oh you’re on!”

They break out into a friendly sparring match, which ends in race to the end of the lakeside dock. Anya claims she lets Lexa win and Lexa only half believe her. She knows she’s out of shape. They sit by the end of the dock their feet skimming the water they dangle their legs casually off the edge. The sun begins to set, turning the sky into a brilliant array of apricot orange which turns into a soft salmon pink. When Lexa spies Anya peaking at her phone again she smiles softly to herself. Whoever was taking up her sisters’ time must be special she thinks to herself. 

“Head inside?’ Lexa breaks the mundane silence.

Anya sighs and tucks her phone away but nods in agreement.

Lexa stands, “If you really want to get service, go by the old tool shed, you can usually get a couple of bars, ‘work’ seems important at the moment.” Lexa gives her a knowing look.

And Anya looks sheepish, something Lexa has never seen before. Its all the confirmation Lexa needs

“I’ll make a start on dinner and then I want to know who’s got you so whipped, she must be special.”

In the past a comment like that would have earned a slap on the back of the head, but instead Anya smiles a toothy grin.  
“Thanks Lex, and she is special.”  
Lexa simply nods and heads back inside the cabin.

Anya reappears around 45 minutes later, noticeably more relaxed. Lexa finishes serving up the left overs onto plates. Anya goes to the fridge and pulls out two beers before they both settle in at the dinner table.

Lexa learns that the woman who has her sister acting like a love-sick puppy is one Raven Reyes. They met on the job, because of course they did. That’s all there ever seemed to be room for, the job and little else. Anya had knocked her over at a party, she had been working a job for some actress , a one off contract, when she had knocked over “Hottest babe I’ve ever fucking seen” (Anya’s words not her) A few insults later a couple of death glares and Anya had the Latina woman number. Lexa never understood the ‘treat em mean keep em keen” mantra her sister had always lived by, but it seemed she had been on the reciprocating end of the schtick. Anya seemed happy and happy looked good on her.

With this she also learns that Raven had been the driving force in Anya taking a step back from body guarding, less hours. This had shocked Lexa but Anya just shrugs and says it was time. She learns that her sister had branched of from Titus, their old mentor to start her own company “Trikru Industries.”

“She’s so fucking smart Lex, like crazy smart. Got a degree in engineering, worked with NASA for a while, Fucking NASA LEX!”  
Lexa just smiles and sips from her beer.

“She’s absolutely the most terrifying person I’ve ever met. Intense and passionate and funny in a fucked up dark humour kind of way.” Anya gushes, her hands gesturing wildly.

“Sounds like you guys are pretty serious.” Lexa smiles , pushing away her empty dinner plate.

“She’s moving into my apartment at the end of the month, before she goes back on tour”

“Jeez, don’t ya think that’s a bit soon?” Lexa teases

Anya just shrugs, “When you know you know.” And the way Anya says it that determined glint in her eye Lexa knows that this woman, Raven Reyes , is the woman Anya will marry. She doesn’t say anything though just nods and sips on her beer.

“So, you mentioned a tour, what does she do now?” At that Anya bristles and finishes off her beer before rising and grabbing another two from the fridge. 

“She’s currently working as a light technician.” Anya half answers.

“For an Artist?” Lexa guesses.  
Anya offers a single nod before taking a long swig of her beer, Lexa mirrors her.

“Ever heard of Clarke Griffin?”

Lexa rolls the name around her mind searches for any recognition of the name and comes up short.

“Lonely Nights, Kiss To Kill?” Anya lists song titles and sees a flash of recognition cross Lexas’ jade green eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, Clarke Griffin, America’s sweet heart or some shit. Hot shot singer, right? What about her?”

“Well Raven and Clarke grew up together. Offered Rave a job, she gets to tour the world with her best friend, it’s a pretty sweet gig.”

“Yeah sounds like it.” Lexa mumbles and puts her beer on the table waiting for what’s about to come next.

“You didn’t just come here to ‘check up on me’ or even have a drink with me did you?” Lexa bites almost sad, it’s masked behind her anger.  
Anya sighs,  
“Believe what you want Lex but I have missed you, a lot. But you’re right, I haven’t come to here in the middle of bumfuck nowhere to share a drink. I’m here because, I need your help.”

 

Lexa sits and boils, can feel her ears begin to burn red hot, can feel the familiar shake in her hands and balls them into fists, unkempt nails biting into her now sweaty palms.

Anya remains passive she’s slipped into business mode. “I have a job, I need you to take it.”

Lexa’s jaw flexes and Anya can see the storm brewing behind her sisters’ eyes. Can see the rage written all over her face. 

“Work for you?” every syllable drips with venom, is spat out in disgust. “I’m done, I’m out. Nothing has changed from the day I walked away. Nothing.” Her eyes are wild with fury she can feel the sting of her nails more prominently, it fuels her rage.

“I wouldn’t ask if I weren’t desperate Lexa. I’m desperate. Clarke she….”

“Enough ANYA! I will not hear this again!” In one fluid movement Lexa is out of her chair swiftly picking up the plates from the table and stalking off to the kitchen.

“You must, and YOU will!” Any returns the animosity in her voice.  
The dishes are all but chucked into the sink and Lexa begins to run the water, tries to focus on the noise, tries to ignore Anya, but persistent as ever Anya stalks into the kitchen and stands behind her, arms folded.

“You’re wasting away here Lexa, wasting away for no good reason.”

“No good reason! I put my life on the line every Fucking Day for that job and for what, for this?” Lexa lifts her top to reveal the scar, round and tiny barley 4mm in diameter. The bullet had nearly killed her, she had been lucky, or so everyone had said. 

“It was never your fault, Lexa, the only person to blame is rotting in a jail cell. The bastard will never see the day of light in this life time. You didn’t pull the trigger he did!”

“It doesn’t matter, none of it does, cause I’m here and SHE’S DEAD ANYA!” 

Anya looks away pity prevalent on her features.  
“She’s dead, and I couldn’t protect her. That’s the job, the one job we have. I threw my body on the line and it wasn’t enough.” The room grows quiet.

Lexa allows her anger to fizzle out, wills it to leave her body. She leans back against the kitchen bench and crosses her arms. They remain like that, in a silent battle, the air still filled with unspoken tension.

“Lexa, no one blames you except for yourself. You survived Lex, cause that’s what you and I do, we survive, and you’re out here killing slowly killing.”  
Lexa refuses to meet Anya’s eyes, can feel the sting of unshed tears brimming the corner of her eyes. She refuses to let them escape.

“I wouldn’t be asking for your help if I wasn’t desperate. Lexa I am begging you please, it’s personal. I’m not asking as your former partner or as a potential boss, I’m asking as your sister. Help me please.” Desperately Anya begs, prays that she’s getting through to her younger sister.

Lexa just shakes her head. She can’t, could she? Anya was right though, she was slowly wasting away, killing herself in a mundane life.

“It’s late.” She finally says, voice strained. “You can take our old room or the couch. There’s fresh towels in the hallway closet.’ She pushes off the bench and walks away from her sister to sit out on the porch.  
Anya sighs in defeat, watches as the screen door closes and her sister disappears into the darkness. She turns on her heels and retires for the night.


	2. The Envelope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa is faced with a choice. Will her curiosity get the better of her?

It had taken Lexa hours to fall asleep that night. Having spent the remainder of the night drinking her beer out on the front porch, sitting, drinking stewing, trying to push it all down . To keep the memories locked away in the deep dark corners of her conscience. The night air was cool, but the stars were hidden behind dark clouds, the moon, a half crescent staring down at her. Finally, she made her way inside to retire for the night. Stripping down to her underwear and a singlet, Lexa plopped herself onto her bed and slowly drifted to asleep.

She wakes to blinding light, pulsating off the white washed walls, vibrant and warm. She groans and begrudgingly makes her way to the bathroom, feet shuffling, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

 

She cleans herself up, spends a good 15 minutes standing under the spray from the shower, letting the boiling hot water burn her skin. When she resurfaces from the bathroom drying her hair with her towel she finds the cabin quiet and empty. She checks the guest bedroom and finds the bed neatly made, almost like it hadn’t been used at all.

Lexa sighs and closes the door. She makes her way into the kitchen, straight to her liquor cabinet. It felt like a whiskey kind of morning. Lexa grabs an empty glass from the dish rack and begins to pour herself a drink. AS she brings the glass to her lips she spies over the brim a manila envelope on the island bench. She stares at it, her breathe caught in her throat. She stares at it in frozen disbelief. She didn’t have to open to know that it was the Griffin girls case file. It was standard procedure, she’d opened enough in her life time to know one when she saw it. 

She exhales coolly and tentatively puts her glass down. She takes three measured deep breaths before shaking her head and storming out of the cabin much like she had the night before. She stops briefly at the foot of the stairs coming of the front porch, looks towards the tall shed, and continues to stalk. She busies herself for the rest of the day with odd jobs around the property and even has time to service her truck. The thought of the envelop plagued her mind all day, so much so that she had almost thrown her back cutting up her firewood.

 

It had been a dick move by Anya, she knew Lexa would boil over it all day, she also knew that stubbornness be damned, Lexa would break. To Lexa’s credit she holds out long past dinner, and even past her second drink of the night. She even holds off until after she finishes her book, a fascinating read on the creatures of the deep.  
She holds and holds and holds. But she’s a simple girl and her father had always damned her curiosity, it always seemed to lead to some type of trouble. As the clock strikes 11pm Lexa Woods glances over at the thick manila envelope sitting alone on the island bench.

She paces up and down the kitchen stops, to stare at it before continuing. This is ridiculous she thinks to herself. It’s just a couple of pieces of paper, they hold no power. I have control, I have control. Obsessively she repeats this over and over as she paces back and forth.  
After several antagonising minutes Lexa comes to an abrupt stop turns slightly and scoops the envelop off the benchtop. The first thing she notices is how thick and heavy it felt. Weighted down with secrets she thinks. She flips it over in her hands a couple of times for good measure. Hands shaking ever so slightly Lexa knits her brows together and runs her hand threw her curly locks. 

She turns and steps on the pedal of her kitchen bin, she hesitates, looks at the bin, looks at the envelope before with an exasperated sigh she steps away from the pedal bin.  
“For fuck sake Anya.” She grumbles to herself. She hastily grabs her glass and the bottle of whiskey before swiftly walking into the quaint living room and plopping down into her father’s old arm chair.

 

With an eagerness that surprised her, she delicately opened the envelope., She pours the contents on the small coffee table before picking up A small folded card with her name scrawled across it.

 

She flips the card, it reads;  
In case you change your mind.  
-Anya.

Lexa crumples the card and tosses it towards the fireplace before returning to the file.

 

Clarke Abigail Griffin, 24. Rose to fame the end half of 2012 after being picked up by Polis Studios and releasing her hit single Lonely Nights. It seemed to be a nonstop whirlwind form there touring the country and eventually the world from 2013-2014. A couple of scandals later and the very public break down of her relationship with one Finn Collins, she had taken a break in the previous year. Her latest album dropping a month ago, Clarke Griffin had announced another tour across the states hitting stadiums in the coming month.

 

All this of course was of no consequence to Lexa. She had worked with just about everyone, from Celebs, to politicians, Company CEO’s. She had seen it all. She was not paid to like her client, just to keep them safe.   
Lexa moves onto the pictures, goes over them intently. She stops on a particularly graphic photograph. It’s of a room, the girls room Lexa realises. Graffitied on the walls in is a message.

 

SLUTS DIE. YOU’RE NEXT.

 

Its not the most creative death threat Lexa had seen but what she sees next makes even her stomach churn, though she would swear it was just the whiskey taking its effect. Sitting in the middle of her bed is a dog, or rather used to be. It was too mangled to really determine. The sheets were soaked in crimson red. It’s blood on the walls Lexa concludes. Lexa had seen her fair share of mangled bodies, men and woman alike, she’d served in Iraq as a marine straight out of high school. But something about torturing animals was just fucked up, especially dogs.

 

The next several hours going over every single detail in the case file. Its invigorating, like an addict she feels the high, coursing through her veins. But when finally, that adrenalin inevitably runs its course Lexa gathers the papers and neatly puts them back into the envelope. She stretches once cracking her neck and back before sluggishly moving into her room and collapsing onto her mattress, it squeaks obnoxiously. She puts he file on her bedside table before catching a glimpse at the alarm clock. 3am in bright red blocks. Red like the blood on Clarke Griffins walls. Red like the pool she had laid in all the months ago, red, red, red.

When she wakes the following morning, she goes about her space with a sense of purpose, a spring in her step. She brews a pot of coffee, sips it eagerly before fishing out her suitcase from the depths of her closest. She packs the bare minimum, picks up the case file grabs her keys and heads to her truck.   
The radio reception was shoddy, always was out here, but as she approached the outskirts of TonDc, the radio crackles and Lexa adjusts the knob to find the right station.

“Next up….ave fan fav…” 

“Come on you stupid thing!” Lexa gives the dash a whack.

 

“New single from her new album Blurry Eyes, Clarke Griffin, Burn With me.”  
And if that wasn’t a sign didn’t know what was. She presses on the gas pedal a little and heads to the airport.

 

Anya had received a text exactly 15 minutes before Lexa had buzzed the intercom to her sister’s apartment. Sunny LA was living up to its name and Lexa was already breaking a sweat. She’s buzzed up moments later and finds herself standing in front of someone who is most definitely not her sister. The girlfriend Lexa decides, Reyes.

“You must be Raven.” Lexa extends her hand in polite greeting. “I’m...”

“Lexa!” Raven takes Lexas’ hand and shakes it with vigor. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Ahn. All bad stories of course. Did you really give her a black eye before leaving DC?”  
Lexa blinks rapidly, taken aback by the sudden ambush.

 

“I uh…”

 

Anya appears in the knick of time and saves her, she’s dressed casually, black skinny jeans and an alarmingly bright yellow blouse. Lexa has never seen her sister wear yellow in all her 30 years. It’s different, but nice.

 

Anya slips an arm around Ravens’ waist, “Easy Rave, you’re gonna scare her off.”  
Unfazed raven continues, “It’s a valid question.” she says before turning her attention back to Lexa. She raises an eyebrow expectantly.

Lexa recovers and replies with a shrug “She should have ducked.”

Raven glares and Anya rolls her eyes. She holds Lexa’s gaze, testing her. After a beat Raven smiles a wide toothy grin, “I like her Ahn. Remind me again why you haven’t introduced us before.”

They move aside to let her into the apartment her suitcase in tow. 

“That’s cause this one,” Anya gives Lexa a pointed look. “disappeared off the face of the earth.”

 

“Ah that’s right. Ohio, right? Yeah definitely end of the earth that place” the young Latina jokes.

Anya chuckles and leans forward to give a light peck on her girlfriend’s lips. The younger Woods sister clears her throat awkwardly. 

“If you’re going to be a cock block the entire time you’re here you’re getting a hotel room.” Anaya says sarcastically.

“Trust me, if I have to witness that,” she gestures up and down the couple, “every day, I’ll gladly turn around right now and go back to Ohio.” 

“I can already tell you and I are going to get along just fine Woods.” Raven barks, “I’m an excellent judge in character.”

Lexa smiles and looks to the sister, “Yeah I guess you are.”

“Was that a compliment kid?” her sister feigns shock.

“Don’t let it go to you’re head. Now where can I put my things?”

The women spend the remainder of the day together , Lexa had intended to grill her sisters girlfriend but had quickly found the tables somewhat turned. Soon she found that she was the one being interrogated, brutally at that. It seemed no topic was off the table. But Lexa was master at deflection and seemed to weather the storm that was Raven Reyes quite well. 

“You prepared for tomorrow then Woods?” Raven questioned through a mouthful of sushi.

When Lexa did not answer Raven continued, “The meeting? You know with Clarke.”

She looks to her sister who gives her a somewhat sympathetic small.

“I didn’t realise, I uh.’

“You’ll be fine.” Raven interrupts but then seems to contemplate her words, “Actually Woods I take that back. Clarke can be… Intense to put it nicely.’

Anya laughs, “As opposed to you babe?” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She reaches across the table and grips the other brunettes’ hands tightly, “I’m not intense am I Woods?” 

Lexa meets Ravens wide eyed stare.  
“Not in the slightest.” The younger Woods sisters says lowly. The table bursts into laughter, grabbing the attention of nearby patrons.

“You’ve got a whole another thing coming for you Woods.” she turns and playfully slaps Anya’s arm, “Can’t believe you haven’t warned her, good one babe.”

“I left her a case file to study!” Anya defends weakly with a shrug of her shoulders.

The couple bickers amongst themselves, but the smile and love shining in both girls eyes never leaves their faces.  
Lexa feels intrusive on the moment the couple seem to share. She returns her eyes back down to her plate. Just exactly had she gotten herself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Next chapter we will see clexa meet, will they hit it off? 
> 
> Thank you so much for your kind comments!   
> And i hope you liked the second chapter, cause i enjoyed writing it.


	3. An Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two stubborn Mules butt heads

In a dance studio in down town LA Clarke Griffin was bent over sucking in deep calculated breathes. She watches in the mirror as her chest heaves with effort. Her team of dancers and her Choreography Luna, all visibly struggling in the heat of the room. Their bodies dripping in sweat as the floor beneath pools with their sweat

‘Alright guys lets take 5!” the blondes stands straight, hands on hips.

“Luna, break for lunch and back in 30?” Clarke turns to her choreographer. Luna nods and passes singer a cold bottle of water and a towel.

“You doing alright Griffin?” the choreographer teases. “Looks like you’re struggling.” 

The blonde chucks her sweaty towel at her. The choreographer chuckles fondly.

“It’s fucking hot as balls, can they not turn the A/C up any higher?” The singer complains before adjusting her messy bun atop her head.

“Afraid not. You’re just gonna have to live with it.”

“You just like making me sweat.” Clarke says huskily with a wink.

“Oh you know it.” Luna blows a kiss playfully, before turning and heading out for lunch. Clarke watches her leave, hers eyes lingering on Lunas' backside.

“Miss Griffin!” Clarkes attention is snapped back to reality as the preppy voice of her personal assistant interrupts her train of thought.

“Jesus Fuck!” Clarke exclaims in a fright. 

“Sorry Miss Griffin, but I’ve got Miss Woods and Miss Reyes waiting to see you. Miss Reyes says it’s urgent.”   
Ontari pushes her glasses up the brim of her nose and fans her face.

“Did they say what it was about?” Clarkes asks curiously

“Not specifically , but Miss Reyes said and I quote “Tell her to get her pretty little ass out here right now its life or death.” Unquote”

Clarke merely rolls her eyes and takes another swig from her bottle. “Lead the way.” 

Her assistant leads Clarke down the hallway, passing a couple of her other dance rooms and even stops to snap a pic with a couple of fans. Finally, they reach a small dressing room. Ontari opens the door and Clarke enters, a fresh gush from the AC blowing over her.

“About time Griffin.” Raven is sprawled out on the leather couch in the corner of the room her prosthetic leg propped on the arm of the couch. 

“I heard it was life or death.” The blonde replies sarcastically.

“Eh, depends on how you look at it.” The Latina waves off her comment as she casually scrolls through her phone..

“Clarke.”

The singer’s attention is pulled away from her friend and she takes in Anya and the stranger standing next to her. 

“Anya! Good to see you. I’d give you a hug, but I’m sure you’d prefer to not soil your suit.”

“Yeah babe, no getting other women to soil you.” Raven exclaims

Anya rolls her eyes and Clarke flips her best friend off.

The Blonde had only known Anya for a couple of months. She had, had her reservations about the woman who had managed to steal her best friends’ heart. But her fears were laid to rest the moment she spied the way Anya had looked at her childhood friend. Like she had hung the stars in god damn the sky. Raven had always, lived her life a million miles a minute, never one to slow down. When she lost her leg in a car accident two years ago, Clarke had witnessed the light in the Latinas eyes all but burn out. That was until Anya came along and gave back the spark she had been missing, and for that Clarke would forever be grateful to have the older Woods sister in their life.

 

“It’s always a pleasure to see you Clarke.” Anya smiles fondly before turning to her sister.   
“Can I introduce you to my sister Lexa.”

Lexa fiddles with her tie quickly before offering her hand.

“Lexa Woods.”

Clarkes stares at the extended arm and then back to Anya. Incredibly formal she thinks to herself. Anya simply shrugs. The singer takes Lexas' hand and gives it a quick shake.

“Clarke, nice to meet you.”

Lexa simply nods and folds her hands behind her back , she stands tall, intimidating. Clarkes gives her a look over, a quick up and down. Lexa was wearing a black tailored suit, something the blonde decides should definitely be illegal cause, god damn she was a specimen to behold. Legs for days, tall and deceivingly slim. A 10 on the hot scale.  
But it was the outline of the gun tucked securely in the side of her belt that gave it all away.

“Raven please tell me this is not what I think it is?’ Clarkes whines and looks up at the ceiling to control her anger.

“I dunno, what does is look like to you Griffin?” the Latina stretches, pocketing her phone and puts her hands behind her head to use as a pillow.

‘It looks like you and Anya are screwing me over!” she grits.

“Clarke it’s not like that” Anya says gently . A knock on the door interrupts them as Ontari returns with an arm full of what Clarke can only assume is her lunch.

“Cut the bullshit! You both knew I didn’t want this and yet here we are.” Clarke folds her arms in defence her foot tapping the floor impatiently.

“How about we all just take a seat and talk about it ok?” Anya offers peacefully. 

“Yeah Clarke you’re a real bitch when you’re hungry.” Raven chirps in as she massages down her leg .

“Oh fuck off Reyes! You know how I feel about this.” Clarke retorts her eyes wild with an untamed fury.

“Ladies please lets not fight, we can talk about it please just…”

Lexa places a sturdy hand on her sisters’ shoulder.  
“No that’s perfectly fine Anya, Raven, I can tell when I am not wanted, let alone needed.”

She turns her attention to Clarke. They lock eyes, her piercing jade eyes meeting piercing deep blues.

“Apologies Miss Griffin I did not wish you to feel ambushed. I realise this was a mistake.   
A pleasure to meet you.” Lexa gives a curt nod and makes a bee line for the door. 

Anya apologises before following her sister as she stalks down the hall and out into the blistering LA sun.

“Lex, just wait god damn it.” The older Woods sister grabs her sisters’ forearm before Lexa shrugs her off.

“Not now Anya, just take me back to the apartment. You’ve done enough.” Lexa grabs the handle to her sisters black SUV.

Anya moves to close the passenger effectively blocking the door. Lexa flexes her jaw and stares at her sisters’ hand propped against the car door. 

“Move.” Lexa growls dangerously, one syllable and it packs a punch of its own.

Anya doesn’t budge. She stares her sister down, confident that her Lexa would not cause a scene in public. “Would you fucking listen to me!” She pleads

“You made a fool out of me in there!” Lexa seethes as she points in the direction of the building.

“I can’t believe you convinced me to come all the way out here. I was perfectly fine just...”

“Drinking your life away? Spending your days locked up in a cabin?” Anya challenges. 

“No, please Lex, tell me how perfectly fine you’ve been for the past 5 months.’

Before Lexa can retort the clearing of a throat pulls both girls to attention. Ontari stands before them, wide eyed and a little unsure.

“Ontari! Are Clarke and Raven finished talking?” At the mention of her name, Raven appears from behind Ontari.

“Right here babe.” The younger woman smiles and pecks her girlfriend’s cheek before turning to Lexa.

“She wants to see you.” The other brunette woman nods in the direction of the studio. Ontari smiles eagerly in affirmation. “Yes, Miss Woods if you could please follow me. Miss Griffin is on a tight schedule.”

“Lexa gives a final glare to her sister before straightening her uniform and following Ontari back into the building.

When she returns to the same dressing room she had stalked out of mere minutes ago she finds the blonde beauty sitting idly on the leather couch Raven had previously been lounging on, eating her salad. At the sound of the door opening Clarke stands and gestures for Lexa to take a seat. The older woman declines and stands to attention

“So…” Clarke starts, taking a seat and stabbing at her salad, “You’re the one who they want me to hire as my personal body guard.’ She looks up from her meal to meet Lexas’ forest green eyes.

Lexa stares right back, she never backs down from a challenge. 

“You’re the one who may or not have a psycho trying to kill her.” The brunette cocks a brow. Your move blondie she thinks.  
Clarke holds the other woman’s gaze a moment more before pushing her salad aside and leaning back into the couch.

“Tell me, Lexa. Why should I hire you?” 

Lexa takes a moment before answering, “Honestly, I don’ think you should.”

If Clarke is surprised she hides it well as Lexa continues, “My job requires a willing client. I can’t protect you if you do not want to be protected.”

“I don’t need some asshole telling me what to do. Telling me where I can and can’t go.”

“I follow protocol Miss Griffin. Something your current team seems to lack.”

Clarke glowers, “Meaning?’

“Meaning Miss Griffin, I’m surprised that you’re still sitting in front of me unharmed. Given the nature of the threats you have received, I am alarming appalled at the lack of security you have. No one even questioned who I was. They simply let me in. Miss Griffin frankly I have counted at least eight opportunities I could have gained access to inflict harm on not only you but your team. It would be a miracle if you complete this tour unharmed.”

Clarke merely scoffs, “If you are referring to the fans I took photos with as a threat you’re insane. I’m sure those kids aren’t the bogey man in disguise.”

Unaffected Lexa merely tilts her head and concedes, “That may be so, but I guess you have to ask yourself Miss Griffin, do you want to die?”

“What kind of fucked up question is that?” the singer balks rubbing her sweaty palms on her thighs.

“A simple one that requires a yes or no answer. Now do you want to die?”

“Of course not!”

“And the people you work with, do you wish harm to come to them?”

“NO!” The blonde rises to her feet and faces Lexa. Clarke leans forward, and Lexa can smell nothing, but the blondes perfume a floral scent, mixed with sweat. It’s over powering and Lexa shifts on her feet distracted momentarily.

“Then I suggest you get your head out of your ass and get the help you need.”

Clarke opens and closes her mouth in disbelief, words failing her in her current state of shock. No one talks to her like that, ok maybe Raven and on occasion Octavia (her publicist) but certainly not a woman she had just met.

“Excuse me!” the blonde says lowly, “What did you just say to me?”

“The truth, something you must not hear very often. I assume?”

The Brunette is not wrong. The truth in Clarkes experience is a slippery thing. Something that she has never been able to grasp with firm hands. The industry she works in seems to accept anything but the truth. It was hard to see friend from foe at times, it had changed how she perceived the world. Had changed her as a person. Now that she was, at what many had referred to as the peak of her career, finding those who were honest was like finding a diamond in the ruff.

 

“Get out!” the singing roars her face crimson red with rage , “Get out Now!”   
Lexa holds Clarkes glare a moment longer, searching those deep blues. Searching for what, she wasn’t sure. In the end she simply nods.

“Have a good afternoon Miss Griffin.”  
In the blink of an eye she is out the door before Clarke could mutter a good riddance.

To say she was in a foul mood after the Lexa incident was a gross understatement. When Octavia had arrived in the studio later that afternoon, she had to bare witness to a very pissed off Clarke trying and failing chorography practice.   
Many shouted expletives later she had called an end to the session and resigned to head home. She orders Ontari to cancel all meeting for the remainder of the day and when the young woman goes to protest, Octavia intervenes in fear for her safety. Hell have no furry than one Clarke Griffin who has been scorned.

The ride back to her home was quiet. No one dared breath a single spoken word. This of course had left Clarke alone with her thoughts which was something she would rather not face, so instead she asked her driver to turn the radio up to fill the silence. It does little to help shut her own thoughts out.

The first thing they notice is the front door, the glass shattered on the floor. Stupidly Clarke runs inside, shouts of her name falling on deft ears. The entire house had been ransacked, holes in walls, glass smashed and scattered everywhere, the walls graffitied like last time.

SLUTS DIE YOU’RE NEXT.  
SLUTS DIE YOU’RE NEXT  
SLUTS DIE YOU”RE NEXT

Over and over those 4 words were scrawled in bright crimson red. 

With a heaving chest and her heart pounding hard and fast, Clarke takes off up the set of stairs that leads to her bedroom. There was a rush of adrenalin coursing though her veins, fuelling her forward, willing her to look. Her bedroom door was ajar and with shaking hands she tentatively pushs it open. 

The first thing she notices is that there is someone sleeping in her bed. The outline of the body amongst her silky sheets. She freezes, can feel the scream building, can feel her heart ready to give in and explode. It builds and builds but still she stays frozen in place until the sound of something smashing downstairs makes the intruder reef the sheet of their body. Dressed head to toe in black, a ski mask concealing their identity. 

The intruder takes a step forward, their eyes meet, and Clarke gives in to the fear and screams.  
The intruder startles forward, lunging at Clarke with purpose. Clarke evades their grasp and tears off down the hall way towards the stairs. She doesn’t look back doesn’t see the intruder stop before leaving the room, thinking twice before backing away inside the room and jumping from the balcony, disappearing into the dying light of the LA sun.

Later when the police had arrived in the car loads and detectives were trying to gather witness statements Clarke had worked herself up into such a mess the ambulance had been called to help treat her shock. 

“You’re one lucky girl Miss Griffin.” A detective says as he closes his notepad. Having been given the all clear by paramedics she and given her statement to the detective

“So you guys are going to like, have cars watch the house now right? Like he could come back.” 

“We can organise someone to watch the house tonight or if you had a friend you could stay with we’d watch their house for the night.”  
“Yeah and what about tomorrow, or the day after that huh?”

“Miss Griffin…”

“I need around the clock protection detective, I could have been killed tonight.’ Clarke wipes away hot angry tears.  
‘Miss Griffin, we’ll catch this guy rest assured, but these things, they take time.”

“Time! This is the second time in a matter of a month my home has been broken into. And you can’t even promise me this won’t happen again.”

The detective offers Clarke a tissue and sighs, “We’re doing the best we can Miss Griffin.”

The singer looks down to the offered tissue and looks back up the middle-aged detective in disbelief. A man who had sworn his life to the duty of protecting others, was not going to be able to protect her. She let the realisation sink in slowly. She wasn’t safe anymore, she knew what needed to be done.

“ Ontari!” Clarke calls and her assistant appears breathlessly, her eyes beet, red an indication the woman herself had been crying.

“Could you please set up a meeting with Miss Woods first thing tomorrow.”

“Yes Miss Griffin. Would that be Anya or Lexa Woods Miss?”

“Lexa Woods. Get me a meeting with Lexa Woods.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! 
> 
> Thank you for reading my word vomit! You guys are awesome.
> 
> Let me know what you think.


	4. Her Pride

Saying no to Clarke Griffin was not something people tended to do.  
Getting what she wanted was never an issue.   
The concept of no had become something of a bizarre anomaly. Perhaps that is what Lexa Woods is, a bizarre anomaly. 

“What do you mean she won’t see me?” Clarke says, bone tired in the back seat of the car.

Ontari visibly cringes, gulping in fear of Clarkes reaction. “I uh, that is Miss Griffin, she said she wanted to hear the words from you.” Ontari fiddles with she tablet in her hands and looks everywhere but at Clarke.

“Of course, she did.” Clarke replies dryly. If she wasn’t so drained, emotionally and physically maybe she could muster the strength to be pissed. She was plenty good at being pissed, had spent a lot of her life being pissed at one thing or another. So, it was an unfamiliar feeling to feel so disconnected. If she is not angry, what is she?

“I’m sorry Miss Griffin, I insisted that she make time but she was quite…” the young woman trails off in thought.

With a heavy sigh Clarke closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. “It’s fine. I’m not mad.”

Ontari only half believes it, is sceptical and looks over her boss in caution, afraid to be lulled into a false sense of security before the gates of hell opened and released the fire that she new the Blonde always seemed to carry, simmering just beneath the surface of her perfectly tanned skin.

When the singer finally opens her eyes she turns to Ontari and places her hand on her assistants forearm in reassurance. “Thank you Ontari, really.”

The car pulls up to her assistants building and the two exchange goodbyes before the car is pulling away. “Where to now miss?” her driver asks  
“Octavia’s please Henry.” The older man simply nods, lips pursed, and the car is quite again.

When Clarke arrives to Octavia’s apartment she is met with strong tanned arms being flung around her body. It takes her by surprised and she pushes the body back in a fright. When frenzied eyes meet those of Raven Reyes, Clarkes’ shoulders sag and she apologises before being pulled back into the Latinas’ warm embrace.

“You’re a go damn idiot Griffin.” Raven mumbles into the embrace. There’s no malice in her words though. Frustration and fear, but no malice. Clarke doesn’t answer just merely lets her body sag into her best friend. She swallows the tears silently.

After a couple of minutes of simply standing in the door way wrapped in their embrace, the two women slowly let go before closing the door and following the sound of Octavia in the kitchen. They find her pouring three glasses of red wine. With eager hands Clarke takes the offered glass and almost inhales it all.

Octavia shoots Raven a knowing look before speaking, “So pizza and trashy reality TV sound like a good idea?” 

Something inside Clarke twists, the knot in the pit of her stomach loosens as a sudden uncontrollable urge to tilt her head back and laugh takes over her body. So she does, full and whole and soon they’re all laughing, at the bizarreness of it all. They laugh until it morphs into something dark and when finally, the gates open, Clarke Griffin is powerless to the onslaught that comes, as hot wet tears fall rapidly down her cheeks. She’s quickly enveloped by two pairs of strong arms. The childhood friends stand there like that laughing and crying in Octavia Blakes kitchen and for the first time that evening Clarke Griffin feels safe.

Eventually the crying had subsided, and tears were gently brushed away by loving hands. The pizza ordered, old re runs of Jersey shore playing in the back ground as the three women sat in lounge room wine tipsy. Octavia was the first to nod off to sleep leaving Clarke and Raven to their own devices. The singer sits on the floor in front of Raven, allowing the dark-haired girl to run her fingers idly through the blondes’ hair. She yawns but fights against the weight of tired and dreary eyes.

“You should sleep.” Raven urges just above a whisper, also trying to fight off sleep.

Clarke hums in response and reaches to refill her glass with wine. She grabs at Ravens glass, but the Latina simply shakes her head. The blonde simply shrugs, halting the methodical rhythm of fingers in hair. 

“You don’t have to wait up, you can take the spare room. Your leg must be killing you, don’t try to deny it.”   
The Latina instinctively rubs at her leg, the ache is dull, uncomfortable but not something she isn’t accustomed too. “Nah, its fine. I’m fine.” But the yawn that escapes her lips betrays her.

Clarkes heart warms and smiles gently into her drink. “If you say so Reyes.”

Raven rolls her eyes and fishes into the pocket for her phone. “Anya says she hopes you’re doing ok.”

“Hmm”

“She also says she’s horny, but I think that parts more to do with me than you.” 

The blonde chuckles softly, “I mean, the chemistry between your girlfriend and I, sorry Rave but that was definitely for me.”

A soft shove to the blondes shoulders only cause her to chuckle again.

“Honestly don’t blame you Griffin, have you seen my girlfriend? She’s a babe.”

“Not my type.” The singer says with a scrunched nose and sips from her wine glass.

“That’s good then, would hate to have to take you out.”

She had meant it jokingly, had meant to tease her best friend, but Clarke’s back stiffens, and Raven mentally kicks herself. Her and her stupid big mouth always getting her in trouble.

“Sorry. Foot in mouth disease.” The brunette reaches out and squeezes Clarkes shoulder reassuringly.

“It’s fine.” The blonde says dryly and lifts the glass to her lips to finish her drink. She knew that it was said in jest, but that didn’t stop the way her stomach had dropped and the way her heart suddenly began beating so loud she was sure the neighbours would hear.

“Clarke. You know I love your right?”

The singer swallows the lump in her throat, “Yeah of course. Love you too.”

“It’s ok to ask for help you know.” 

“I know.” Clarke turns to face her best friend. Eyes glassy, unsure if it’s the effects of the wine or something else completely.  
Raven reaches out an takes her hand “Let Anya help you. Please.”

‘Rave,” her voice comes out broken, the tears that follow fall freely, she lets them. ‘I fucked it up.” She chokes.

Raven reaches out with delicate hands and tucks blonde strands behind her ear, “Shhhhhh. You haven’t.”

“I have. Me and my stupid pride.” Clarke brings the back of her hand to her face and hastily swipes, “She won’t see me.”

“Who Anya?” The Latina scrunches her eye brows together in confusion.

The blonde shakes her head, “No, her sister, Lexa. I asked Ontari to set a meeting up with her tomorrow, Lexa refused.”

“Both of you are fucking stubborn ass morons.” Raven groans and Clarke lets out a breathy laugh.

“That’s a bit harsh.”

“It’s a bit fucking true” they both laugh a little too loudly and Octavia begins to stir awake on the couch.

With a soft tired groan Octavia grumbles, “Why are you guys so loud.” Her face contorts annoyed at the sudden wake up call.  
“Sorry O.” both women apologise sheepishly.

The other brunette slowly rises from the couch eyes still closed, before sluggishly walking towards her bedroom and closing the door behind her with a gentle thud. Its all incredibly endearing 

“I don’t think she was awake.”

“Definitely not awake.” The blonde agrees, with a soft tired smile, then adds, “You should get some sleep.”

“Will you?” with the tilt of her head, the Latina gives her best friend a knowing look.

“Probably not. But I’m fine.” It’s a lie they both know it, the sniffle that follows is confirmation.

“You’re really not.” 

“No I’m not.”

“Its ok not to be ok.”

If she was anyone else other than Clarke Griffin, that statement would have been true. If she was just a normal woman working a 9-5 job, living in the suburbs it would have been true. But in her line of work she could not afford to be weak. Any sign of weakness and the sharks would smell it, strike and she could kiss her dreams goodbye. She had worked too god damn hard to not be ok. Had come too far from the girl who once posted videos on you tube, sitting in front of the camera, messy bun strumming away at her guitar. No psychopath was going to de rail her from her path, or make her run scared. Which meant swallowing her pride and asking for help.

“She won’t come to see me.”

Raven sighs but rises to her feet. Clarkes offers a helping hand. The Ltina takes her by the shoulders and looks her dead in the eyes. “Then go to her instead.”  
Its that simple and yet the idea had never occurred to her, she was not one to chase others, had never chased anyone in her life. Was it really all that simple?  
“Night Griff, try and get some sleep.” She pulls the blonde in and gives her a bone crunching hug, before disappearing behind the door of the spare bedroom.

\----

 

Of late Lexa Woods seemed to have a thing for envelopes. A manila envelope had brought her to the door step of her older sisters’ apartment. Well perhaps it had more to do with the content in which it held, but for Lexa it was one and the same. Though things had not exactly gone the way she had envisioned with Clarke Griffin, the brunette had found herself come full circle. Sitting on the marble countertop sat a plain white envelope, the results of her psych evaluation. 

Everything would have been for nothing if she didn’t pass this. If she wasn’t given the all clear she would have to crawl back under her rock. Back to Ohio, to her whiskey and books and silence. Of course, it had taken her up until now to realise she doesn’t want to go back to her life before. So,it seemed the fate of her future laid there on that countertop mocking her.

With a deep breath, Lexa Woods takes the envelope into her hands and slowly open it. She flicks casually through the pages, perusing for the end results. When she comes to the end of Page three her heart stops and shoulders sag.  
Before she can dwell on the results the sound of a loud obnoxious knock interrupts her from her thoughts. She chucks the papers back on the countertop before turning to investigate the noise and its perpetrator.

“Anya don’t tell me you left your keys after Raven specifically-“ the younger Woods sister shouts from across the room before peering through the peep hole, her sentence dying on her lips. It’s not her sister.

“I’d let myself in, but I don’t have keys.’ Comes a muffled voice from the hallway.

“You seemed to manage getting into the building without being buzzed up.” Lexa shouts back dryly her hand already on the locks in anticipation of the woman’s next words.  
“Could we, could we talk. Please. I think I have some apologising to do and its hard to do that when I’m shouting at you through a locked door.”

Slowly and some what reluctantly Lexa unlocks the door and comes face to face with Clarke Griffin. Her back straightens as she takes the blonde in, she’d dressed casually, high cropped denim shorts and a plain black tank top. The look screams Cali girl. Screams I love hanging by the beach in my spare time, screams effortless, screams Clarke Griffin. Given Lexa had only met her once under less than pleasant circumstances, the Clarke in front her just seemed authentic and it made Lexa feel a certain kind of something, it tingled at the base of her neck.

The brunette clears her throat, “Miss Griffin to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You’ve refused to meet with me.” Clarkes breathes mater of factually.

Lexa cocks a single brow, “Yes, that I have.”

“I tried to call.”

“No, you had your assistant call.”

“Same thing.” The blonde rolls her eyes and runs a frustrated hand through her locks.

“No Miss Griffin. It is not.” The challenge is clear in Lexa’s eyes, her hands now place on her hip.  
They stand there, in the doorway of Anya’s apartment, locked in silent battle, until with a frustrated sigh Clarke shakes her head.

“Look this is all coming out wrong, I promised myself and Raven and just about everyone else I’d not make an ass of myself again and here I am.”

“Making and ass of yourself.” The brunette finishes.

The blonde nods and fidgets with her fingers anxiously, “Can I please come in, I won’t take up too much of your time. I Just need you to hear me out. I know I Don’t deserve it, but I’m asking anyways. Please.”

Maybe it’s the sombre look or the way the blonde says please, like a desperate cry that inexplicably pulls at something within Lexa. Maybe its pity, something she rarely shows those who cross her. Or maybe it because she has a pretty girl standing in front of her with deep blue puppy dog eyes, with a sigh she steps side and lets Clarke in. A brief shadow of surprise crosses the singers face before she enters the threshold. 

“Can I offer you something to drink Miss Griffin?” Lexa asks over her shoulder as she leads the blonde to the kitchen, rifling through the fridge to pour herself a glass of orange juice.

“No thank-you. And its Clarke ,you can call me Clarke.”

Lexa eyes her for a long moment and offers a curt nod in response. An awkward silence befalls them as they stand there in the kitchen. Sirens can be heard in the distance and the gentle hum of the AC. Lexa wonders if Clarke has ever been denied before, she certainly does not seem to be the type who accepts being told no.

“So tell me Miss…. Clarke, how did you get into the building.”

Clarke smiles wryly “Raven gave me the entry code.”

Of course, Raven had and if Raven had interfered then Anya certainly had a hand in all of this too. “I feel somewhat betrayed.” Lexa says into her glass.  
“Don’t take it personally.” The singer says almost apologetically and takes a seat at the breakfast bar. “Raven has her heart in the right place.”

Lexa hums and comes to stand opposite the blonde. “I think you’ll find Raven and my sister are perfect for each other, they both seem to meddle in both of our affairs.”

A smirk crosses the blondes face, “Definitely perfect for each other.”

Clarke was intimately familiar with the meddling ways of her child hood best friend, had been victim to her schemes since they were kids. She was powerless to the wiles of Raven Reyes, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t kick up a fuss. It seemed to be a pattern, one that she never could break. Something would go wrong in Clarkes life, Raven would intervene, Clarke would be her usual stubborn self and refuse help and eventually she would give in and admit Raven was right.

“In my experience Raven tends to be right about these kinds of things. Don’t tell her I said that though, don’t want to give her a complex.” 

“And what exactly is she right about this time?” Lexa crosses her arms across her chest, she focuses on her poker face. 

“I, uh need help.” The singer stares directly into forest greens, searches for any trace of shock or annoyance, finds nothing so continues, “I’ve been a stubborn idiot, a selfish   
moron. I was rude to you when you had flown all this way to offer your help and I shot you down before you could even say anything. I’m sorry.

The blondes’ throat bobs with swallowed emotions but she holds Lexas’ gaze, unwavering, piercing, genuine. 

“I meant what I said yesterday. I can’t protect someone who doesn’t want my help.”

“I know.” The blonde whispers defeatedly, pursing her lips. 

“Then you know what I require from you.”

“Co-opereation.”

“Honesty.” 

Clarke begins to open her mouth, the voice inside her head tells her to not be so foolish, her heart says be quiet, to trust. She schools in her emotions and sits up straight in her stool.

“You asked me yesterday if I wanted to die. You asked me if I wanted the people I care about to come to harm.”  
“I did.” Lexa nods in concession.

“I’m scared Lexa. This is my job, my dream but all I wanted to do was hide under my blankets this morning. I can’t feel that way, I can’t let it affect my work. I have a duty to my fans. So, I’m here to ask you, help me do my job, and I’ll be a willing client.”

Lexa stands silent and stoic across from Clarke, her arms folded. She mulls it over, consider her options. Then she thinks of Raven, Anya had said the job was personal. She would be protecting so much more than just Clarke if she said yes. But if she said no, could she live with herself if harm were to come to these people?   
The silence stretches until Lexa moves towards the breakfast bar and leans over. She scans pools of blue with a small frown before softening.

“Ok.” She leans back and sands tall, her shoulders straightening  
.  
Clarke leans blanches in confused shock, “What do you men ok.”

“I mean, ok I’ll work for you.”  
“OH!” the blonde squeals, clears her throat and rises from her seat, “I uh, wasn’t expecting it to be that easy.”

Lexa smirks amusedly, “I could make you beg if you like.” It comes out much flirtier than she had intended.   
A blush begins to creep of Clarkes cheeks. “No, no. I uh, ok is fine, ok is great.” She replies somewhat flustered.

“Good.”

“Yeah good.”

The silence that follows isn’t awkward and it surprises them both. The silence is warm and filled with the promise of tomorrow.

“I should go.” Clarke finally says and looks behind her to the direction of the door.

“I’ll have Anya draw up a contract and forward them onto your lawyer.”

Clarke simply nods as she is shown to the door.

“I can walk you down if you like?” Lexa offers as she opens the door.

“No its fine, Octavia is in the lobby and my driver is just outside.”

Lexa thinks to protest and insist on walking her down. The urge to slip into work mode is familiar and not unwelcome. But the look Clarke gives her says its not worth squabbling over in the hallway of her sister’s apartment complex.

“Very well. Enjoy the rest of your day Clarke.”

“You too.” 

Lexa watches as the blonde disappears into the elevator before returning inside with a tired sigh. She stalks back into the kitchen and picks up discarded papers she had left sitting by the bench. Written in black bold letters, 

FIT FOR ACTIVE DUTY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys thanks for reading.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed my word vomit so far.
> 
> Let me know in the comments.
> 
> Ok byeeeee


	5. Begin Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooo, long story short I went on holiday, then got caught up with working and ya know life happens, but its   
> 20 bi-teen I'm living my bets life. Hope you like the chapter.

It had taken mere hours for papers to be signed, for the contract binding Lexa to sworn duty to Clarke Griffin. Lawyers were contacted, and Anya had only offered her younger sister a quick hug, awkward but well intentioned.

A small team would also be delegated, to the upcoming tour around the country. Protecting Clarke Griffin, Lexa suspected would not be like all her other contracts. To protect one she had to protect many, so it as agreed that Lincoln and Indra would also sign on. Lexa had worked enough with them to know their capabilities, they were loyal to the job, something Lexa herself respected. They had followed Anya and been hired into the new company, leaving their old mentor Titus. In a matter of hours Lexa had a team and a job to do. 

She started with the police report. Had called in favours, spoken to old contacts within the force. There were no current leads, no current suspects, they had all but deduced the break-ins to be a fan turned super stalker. The report was sloppy at best and down right infuriating. 

“Have you read this report?” Lexa walked into her sisters’ study, the desk lamp the only source of light in the otherwise darkened room. 

It was late, Raven had bid her farewells for the night hours ago, while Anya ran over finances.  
Without looking up from the computer screen the older woman replies “The police report for the break in? Yes, I have.”

“You realise the whole department are incompetent morons.” There’s a fire in Lexa’s eyes, dim but burning all the same.

“You say that about every police report you read.”

With a huff Lexa plops herself down in the chair opposite her sister, “They have no leads, none.”

“I’m aware.”

“They haven’t even questioned the ex, what’s his name, floppy hair, looks like he needs a good wash.” Lexa clicks her fingers in search for a name.

“Collins.” Anya supplies still her eyes glued to the screen in front of her.

“Right, Finn Collins. You and I both know when shit like this happens you look to begrudged exes.”

With a heavy sigh the older sister stops her typing and turns to give Lexa her full attention. She can see it written in the depth of her sisters piercing forest green eyes, she was scared.

“Lex, the Finn thing is…Complicated. They have history.”

“All the more reason to look into him.” Lexa mumbles as she continues to flip through the report.

“If Clarke thought it was him she would have said something to Raven, who would have said something to me. Leave the detective work to the detective’s kiddo.”

Lexa scoffs, “Cause they’re doing such a fine job as it is.”

“Are you going to see the house tomorrow?” 

“I’ve arranged to meet Clarke to discuss security threats for her upcoming tour and to discuss necessary improvements needed for her home.”

Anya just nods, “Well if you need anything, let me know. Otherwise I have a shit tonne of finances to look through sooooo.”

“Yeah of course,” Lexa takes the hint and stands from her chair. “Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Lexa exits her sisters’ study, softly closing the study room door and makes her way to the guest room she has claimed as her own. She falls asleep in the early hours of the morning the police file lying on her chest.  
*****

All things considered Lexa never expected Clarke Griffin to be on time. As they had arranged the day before Lexa waited for the pop star in the drive way of her all but abandoned home. When 10am rolled around and no sign or word from the singer came, Lexa went about investigating the premises. She let herself in, finding a spare key under a pot plant. Careless Lexa thought. She swept the bottom floor. Ignoring the mess, the shattered glass crunching under her feet. With no sign of life, she continued to the top floor. The top floor was much the same, devoid of any type of threat. 

She didn’t linger longer than necessary in the rooms, simply found possible breaches and made note of it. She checked her watch 10:30am. Still no sign of the blonde.   
She reached into her pocket and retrieved her phone. Running through her contacts she found Lincolns and Indra’s number, sent them the address and instructions to meet her there at 11am. Her work had begun.

*****  
It was 1pm before Clarke decided to show up. Ontari had eventually called Lexa and apologised on behalf of Clarke, meetings were running late and there was still much to discuss and finalise before the tour.

When finally, Lexa set her eyes upon the blonde, she knew she was in for an argument. The singer stood perfectly still in the middle of the foyer as an excess of unknown people flurried about the house, trash bags in hand, some scrubbing, some painting, some nailing and hammering and the noise was overwhelming.

“WOODS!” Her name seemed to resound against the walls, above all the noise. 

Clarke storms through her home, the people part like the red sea, wide eyed and in a hurry to avoid the storm.  
“What the hell is this.” The blonde seethes as she gestured round herself.

“Good afternoon Miss Griffin. I hope you don’t mind but seeing as you were late to our security meeting this morning, I took it upon myself to install state of the art alarm system. It will alert myself and the police in the event of an intrusion. I also took it upon myself to clean the mess which was left behind.” Lexa stood tall her hands folded neatly behind her back.

“I didn’t ask… you should have…” Clarke struggled to find the right words. She felt somewhat more violated than before, with these strangers in her home.

“You’re welcome Miss Griffin.”

“I didn’t thank you.” The blonde replies dryly. “Lexa this is absolutely not ok! This is my home, this is where I eat and sleep and live!”

Lexas’ stoic demeanour cracks and she scrunches her eyebrows together in shock and confusion.”

“Miss Griffin if I have offended you in some way that was not my intention, I merely….” Her sentence is cut off by the overpowering sound of power tools.

“The noise I can’t stand this!” Clarke yells her hands balled as fists. 

“A necessary evil Miss Griffin. If someone had have met with me at the agreed time this morning all this unpleasantry could have been avoided.” Lexa turns and walks away. Leaving Clarke to balk in disbelief.

Clarke takes a moment to collect herself, the storm that had been brewing seems to have fizzled out as she watches her body guard bark orders to scurrying strangers. It’s almost captivating the way people respond, almost being the key word. With a deflated sigh and the ear piecing noise of more power tools whizzing and whirling, Clarke retreats to her room like a scolded teenager. 

*******

When finally, the house is clean and the comings and goings of stranger ceases there’s an empty type of silence that seems more haunting than what the previously up turned mansion had brought before. It was well into the evening before all the noises had stopped, before Lexa had deemed the place satisfactory.   
It had been a long tiresome day so when Lincoln handed three plastic bags full of Chinese, Lexa had offered a sigh of thanks and sent him to take first watch. This would be done in alternating shifts, someone would always be present at the house. Of course, Clarke was yet to be informed as such.  
With weary and tired eyes Lexa climbed the grand stairs and made her way down the hall to where the light peek through the crack of a shut door. Lexa takes a deep calming breath and knocks softly.

Clarke answers the door, phone to her ear. She takes one look at Lexa and the bag of steaming hot Chinese take out and cuts her conversation short, “No, we’ll talk about it more tomorrow. Ok Bye.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt Miss Griffin. I thought perhaps we could talk.”

Clarke doesn’t respond at first, instead she merely sizes Lexa up. Her stomach grumbles, “Did you get dumplings.”

Lexa smirks knowingly, “Can’t have Chinese with dumplings.”

Clarke steps aside and allows Lexa to enter. The room is full of boxes, half packed and strewn across the floor haphazardly.

“You’ve been busy.” Lexa comments as she passes the pop singer a container and takes a seat on the ruby red futon by the far wall.  
Clarke follows suit and sits next Lexa.

“I don’t think I can sleep in here, on that bed, not after…” Clarke’s face falls and she shoves a fork full of noodles into her mouth.

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me Miss Griffin, what happened will not happen again.”

Clark smiles sadly to herself but believes every word the brunette says, she knows she’s safe, she feels it. Its an odd but welcomed feeling. “Thanks, and enough with that Miss Griffin bullshit. Its Clarke, ok?”

The brunette nods, “Well Clarke there’s a lot I need to discuss with you, a lot we need to be on the same page about.”

“Do we have to do that tonight? Can’t we just be two normal people eating Chinese and talking about normal people stuff, like I dunno climate change.”

“Climate change?” Lexa raises an eye brow.

“Yes, very real, very scary. The ice bergs are melting Lexa, think of the penguins.”

The brunette laughs, the sound is so surprising that Clarke herself isn’t sure she heard it or if it was her imagination playing tricks.

“You should do that again.”

“Hmm? Do what?” Lexa gazes into endless blue pools.

“Laugh. You look, I dunno more relaxed? At ease, not scary.”

This earns a snicker from the girl sitting opposite her “I’m paid to be scary and intimidating”

The blonde simply hums, “What was it I heard that big bald-headed guy call you today, Commander? What’s that all about?”

Lexa blushes it had been a running joke amongst the work colleagues, a nick name she had earned for her ruthlessness on the job. “Nothing, just Lincoln trying to be funny.”

They continue the back and forth banter with surprising ease. It’s a cease fire of soughts. They talk about nothing at all really, avoiding all serious talks of child hood and parents and all that heavy stuff. Its refreshing not to have to throw out all the baggage for another to see. The baggage talk will come of course it always does. But not yet, not when things were so raw.

“So you're telling me there’s footage of you out there throwing yourself in front of someone who was about to get a pie to the face. Like an actual pie.” Clarke wiped away tears of laughter.

“Glad you find it amusing. And I’m sure Anya has a secret tape of it some where if you ask her.” Lexa groaned her cheeks a pretty shade of pink.

“Well you saved more than just a senator from becoming a victim of a pie-ing, you saved Lincoln too, you’re a real hero Commander.”

Lexa rolls her eyes and shakes her head at the nickname, one she clearly was not going to live down. Clarke bursts into another fit of laughter before reluctantly falling silent.

Lexa clears her throat the mood changing subtly ,“Speaking of Lincoln though we really must discuss security and the rotating roster I have in place and…”  
The body guard looks at the blonde sees the tired lonely look now in her eyes, sees the way her shoulders sag and the rings under her eyes. 

There is much to discuss and much to be done and really these types of things are always better dealt with sooner rather than later. But as Lexa looks at the woman opposite her, she can’t bring herself to talk business. Instead she stands. 

“And it’s getting late, so we better continue this talk tomorrow. I’ve had your assistant email your schedule, I’m on first shift I’ll be here 8am sharp.”  
Clarke stands with her and nods. “8am it is. Thank you for everything, dinner cleaning up. I don’t deserve the kindness, I know I can be a bitch. But thank you all the same.”

The older woman smiles, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Clarke walks her down stairs to the front door where she can see Lincoln camped out for the night in his car. She closes the door and arms the security system. The guest bedroom is cold and unfamiliar, but he bed is sift and the linen is silk, she makes do with what she has. Clarke falls asleep wishing for tomorrow.


	6. It's My Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not a party unless some one cries right?

**May 2016**

1 week before the tour.

 

 

They had slipped into a comfortable routine over the weeks that followed. As promised Clarke was a willing client. Well as willing as one Clarke Griffin could get without being a push over. They still bickered, they still argued over what was deemed a threat and what the blonde thought was Lexa being overly paranoid.

Lexa soon learns that life protecting Clarke Griffin was often best dealt with by allowing the singer to get her way every now and then. It was as if they were for ever locked in a battle of chess. Lexa had mastered chess at a young age, she new the importance of sacrificing a pawn or two. If that meant that Clarke got to stop and take a couple of selfies with die hard fans, she could live with that. What she couldn’t live with however, was the suggestion of a party to open the States tour.

 

“Absolutely not. No, it’s too much of a risk. I can’t protect you if I’m worried about every tom dick and harry that walks through that front door of yours.” They were sat in the back of a large SUV, the blonde signing copies of cd’s and vinyl records. The day had been long and tiring, Clarke had spent the it in meetings with her team. With the tour less than a week away, things were finally all coming together.

“First of all,” Clarke mumbles as she pulls the cap off a permanent marker, “That is the lamest expression I have ever heard in my life. How old are you Grandma?”

“Clarke I’m serious. I let you stay behind today to take pictures with those fans. I even let you deviate from schedule to fit in a lunch in a local cafe. You realise how many tweens I had to swat away?”

“Secondly,” the blonde continues as if Lexa had not spoken at all, “it’s tradition and nothing will break this tradition. Unless you wanna face Raven and O’s wrath. They’ve been planning this for months.”

“Unlike my sister I am not afraid of Raven Reyes. Nor am I afraid of Octavia.” The body guard dead pans.

Clarke looks up from a copy of her album she was signing and smirks, “If you say so Woods.”

“I do say so.”

“Sure.”

“No party.”

“Look,” Clarke puts the cap on her pen and gives her body guard her full attention, “O and Rae have it covered. Anya has hired extra muscle, Lincoln and Indra will be working, it’s invite only. It’ll wrap up 4am at the latest.” Clarkes gives her best puppy dog eyes. Something she had used as a weapon often, she soon realised that this Woods sister was just as big of a gay mess as her older sister. Both were suckers for a beautiful pouty girl.

“Clarke.”

“Please Lexa. I’ve only called you an asshole twice in the past week. That’s a record! And I didn’t even kick up a fuss when we had to cancel that pop-up show at The Palms, cause you said the venue was a shit hole. Just one night is all I’m asking, I need this one night.”

 

Its almost cruel the way Clarke gives her that god damn pout. Its damn near criminal the way she batts her eyes. Full lashes and those god damned endless pools of blue.  Really Lexa had no hope in winning this argument. She was human after all, even though she liked to pretend she was made of steel. With a final sigh she gave in to Clarke Griffin,

“I’ll have to speak to Anya then. And you’re to not wonder without being escorted, we’ll keep a respectable distance, but nothing that will compromise you.”

“Deal!”

“And party finishes at 3am.”

“3.30”

“3:15”

“Ok fine! Thank you” Clarke all but squeals and with a blinding speed, wraps Lexa into a thankyou hug.

The contact shocks the brunette. She stiffens, overcome by golden locks and that damn floral perfume the pop singer seems to always wear. What was it, Roses? Frangipani? Distracting, that’s what it was. It takes a moment, maybe it takes 2, but eventually Lexa relaxes, enough to release the tension in her shoulder, enough to bring an arm around to pat the back of Clarkes shoulder. When the hug goes beyond what one would consider friendly Lexa clearsher throat.

Slowly the blonde pulls back, slowly she searches Lexa’s eyes. They’re blown wide, but with what? Panic?

“Oh sorry, didn’t mean to, ah, make you uncomfortable. Not a hugger, got it.” The younger woman turns away attempting to hide her embarrassment.

“It’s fine.” Lexa says stiffly. “We’re nearly to home. Indra will be there to start her shift.”

‘Yeah, of course, I know that.”

They’re silent for the remainder of the trip but something inside them burns all the same.

 

****

 

Music can be heard from over a block away as the masses begin to arrive. Security was stationed at the front of the gates and out the front of Clarke Griffins front door, something the singer herself thought was excessive but had decided not to voice her opinion, a very rare occurrence indeed. The blonde had figured it would put her body guards mind at ease.

 

Wait staff flit around the room serving what seems to be an endless amount of champagne. The bubbles seem to do the trick as the crowd, mostly those who were working the tour, along with recording executives the odd B list celebrity here and there, become noticeably rowdier. It sets Lexa on edge as she surveys the room. Clarke had yet to make an appearance, Indra was on first watch of the night and was currently standing outside the pop singers’ room, waiting for her to finish getting ready.

 

“Try to relax it’s a party.” Anya slides in beside her younger sister and claps her on the back, a glass of champagne in her other hand.

“I’m working Anya, please go annoy your girlfriend.” The younger Woods sister stands in the corner of the living room stoically.

Anya shrugs, “She’s busy helping Clarke get ready.”

“Regardless, go find someone else to annoy, I’m…”

The sound of glass shattering sets her in motion, she rounds the corner to the foyer where an embarrassed and clearly intoxicated young man is apologising profusely to the waiter he had bumped into, causing drinks and glass to be scattered across the floor.

“What’s going on here.” Lexa demands pulling the guy to his feet.

Anya joins a moment later and grasps her sisters’ arm. ‘’Lex, he’s good, it’s just Monty.”

The younger sister gives a sceptical look before death glaring Monty. “I think you’ve had enough to drink for the night.”

“Oh I uh, sorry sir. I MEAN MA’AM , sorry ma’am. It, it was an accident. I just wasn’t looking where I was going and I uh….” Monty rambles looking every where but directly into Lexa’s eyes.

“It’s fine Monty, no harm no foul. Excuse my sister, she’s just a bit jumpy.” Anya interrupts him and offers a kind smile to ease his nerves.

“Oh that’s your sister? Lexa, right? I’m Monty, sound tech for Clarke. Raven and I work together.” He awkwardly half extends his hand as if to shake Lexa’s but thinks twice before letting his hand fall to his side.

The body guard gives Monty a quick up and down look before turning her attention back onto surveying the crowd.

Anya rolls her eyes and continues to chat with Monty. Catching up like old friends

Lexa tunes them both out and instead checks in with Lincoln and Indra via comms,

“Status report?’

“All clear Commander.” Comes Lincolns deep voice. He was overseeing the security check points tonight.

“Griffin is moving Heda.” Came Indra’s calm reply.

Show time.

Lexa had always prided herself on keeping cool under pressure. She knew how to diffuse a hostage situation without so much as batting one of her evergreen eyes. This of course was all thrown under the bus when Clarke Griffin walked down the stairs in a low cut lacy navy blue dress.

The whole party seems to sense the arrival of their elusive host and Lexa swears blind every set of eyes turns in unison as Clarke Griffin glides down the stairs. A cheer picks up as she makes were way down and the smile that spreads across her milky white features is breath taking.

“Sorry to make you all wait!” She shouts to the crowd, “Someone get me a fucking drink and let’s party!”

The crowd cheers again and for a second Lexa is frozen in place as she watches the singer air kisses another blonde woman. She sees her mutter what some type of greeting before another person must be approaches her. They swarm to her like flies and Clarke Griffin glows. She’s in her element Lexa realises. It’s the smile, its, the dress, it’s the way she cocks her hp to the side and smirks. The way she throws her head back and laughs, it’s all so tantalising.

Through the sea of bodies blue meets green and Lexa Woods stops breathing. She’s staring at her and Clarke is staring right on back.  She watches as the blonde’s eyes flit up and down almost as if she herself were checking the brunette out.

There’s a voice in Lexa’s mind screaming something. Its screaming but its muted, the words don’t make sense, syllables don’t seem to form properly. All she sees is blue, blue, blue.

“Watch yourself Woods.” The illusion is broken, both women instantaneously snap their gaze away from each other. Lexa turns to find Raven in a strapless red dress her hair falling over the left side of her shoulder.

“Didn’t your parents teach you not to stare?’ A shit eating smirk spreads across the Latina’s face.

Lexa visibly gulps before swiftly diverting the conversation. “You look nice.” She comments offhandedly.

“Just nice!” comes her sisters’ outrage. “put on a pair of glasses kid I’ve got the hottest babe in the room.” The older woman slides an arm around her girlfriend’s waist before pulling her closer.

“Naw thanks babe, I’m pretty lucky too.” They both meet in the middle for a kiss.

Lexa rolls her eyes and without saying so much as a goodbye, leaves them and heads towards Clarke.

She makes a point of avoiding eye contact as she passes her and continues towards where Indra stands post. She whispers a quiet command before the shorter guard nods and leaves the room. Lexa stands post just out of Clarke’s peripheral. It was going to be long night.

 

 

****

The party is in full swing now that the star of the night has finally arrived. She shone brighter than them all. So bright that she was never alone for more than a few seconds as she made her way around, playing dutiful party host. Her champagne glass was never empty either and as the night wore on Clarkes usual energetic and boisterous self-seemed to increase ten fold. Lexa had not thought the blonde could be any louder than what she already was on a day to day basis, but by god was she wrong.  

“Party Girl Griffin is back bitches!” Octavia yells to a group of on lookers as Clarke takes a second shot of Jaeger. The cheers and wolf whistles that erupts is deafening.  

The blonde takes a sweeping bow and staggers slightly. Lexa reaches out to steady her in an instant. Clarke smiles sweetly as she grips onto her body guards’ forearm.

“Woah, sorry, sorry.” She slurs. “Hey everyone!” She shouts, “Give it up for Lexa!”

Another ceremonious cheer resonates.

“Clarke.” The brunette says just low enough for only her to hear.

“What?”

“Are you ok? Perhaps you would like some water.”

“Clarkey!” a tall scrawny guy wearing goggles upon his shaggy kempt hair staggers forwards, too close.

Lexa pulls Clarke behind her and grabs the guy by the front of his shirt and shoves him. “Hey, back up.” She squares up ready for an attack.

“Woah Lexa chill the fuck out!” Clarke grabs at the older woman’s shoulder.

As if sensing an impeding fight, Anya materialisers out of thin air, along with Monty and Raven.

“Jesus Jas, you been drinking that home-made shit again.” Raven reaches up pulls his goggles down.

“Don yer know it.” He slurs and sways. Monty reaches out this time along with Anya.

“Alright big guy! Let’s get you a cab.” Anya grunts as she takes his left side while Monty takes the right.

“I’ll go get him water.” Raven sighs and with that they’re gone.

The tension eases, on lookers talk amongst themselves as if nothing has happened. Lexa turns to face the blonde.

“What the hell was that all about!” The blonde scrunches her face up in a quiet kind of anger. “It’s a fucking party Commander. Chill the fuck out or leave!” And with that the blonde stalks off grabbing another champagne glass as she passes a waiter.

Its as if she’s been physically slapped. She feels the cold hard sting of Clarkes words in her core. It’s unsettling, it’s unprofessional, it’s downright infuriating. She schools in her emotions. Buries them deep with in where she knows they belong. Lexa straightens her tie.

Her eyes meet Indra’s from across the room. A silent conversation seems to take place between them, with a slight nod Indra moves into position by Clarke.

 

Lexa makes her way towards the front entrance to Lincolns post for the night. If she’s surprised to find Octavia Blake making small talk with Lincoln, she doesn’t say anything. The very sight of Lexa makes Lincoln stand taller and Octavia shrink away.

 

“Heda!” Lincoln stands tall.

“I’ll take over from here.”

Lincoln nods and heads inside, not needing to be told where he is required.

Octavia watches him leave but says nothing in ways of goodbye to him.

“Perhaps you should check on Clarke.” Lexa utters robotically.

“Yeah, right. I’ll be going then.”

With that she’s alone once more.

 

****

“Who’s got eyes on Clarke.” Comes Lincolns’ familiar deep voice through the comms.

Lexa’s back straightens, the hairs on the back of her neck standing.

“Indra! Report!”

No reply just static.

“Linc, where’s Indra.”

“She was just here a moment ago. They both were.”

The adrenalin is slowly seeping through as her heart beat picks up.

“I’m on my way!” Lexa moves quickly and swiftly pushing her way through the crowd. Her eyes scanning the crowd, searching for the familiar sight of blonde, she listens for her laugh. Anything to indicate where she is.

“Anya!” Lexa yells as she pushes her way through. “You see where Clarke and Indra went!”

“Oh shit no!” her older sister straightens her body coiling, slipping into work mode. “I’ll check with Raven and the others.” Lexa nods and they fan out.

“Linc.”

‘Nothing, I’m checking upstairs.”

“I’ll look out back.”

She’s becoming frantic, as she powers her way through to the back yard. There’re people out on the patio none of them Clarke. But in the distance, she makes out two dark figures standing closely, by pergola towards the rear of the property. Her pace quickens as she makes her way towards them.

Once she’s only a couple hundred metres away, with the sounds of the party behind her, she quickly recognises Clarkes husky voice. And while a sense of pure relief washes over her, fear also takes a hold.

 “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I had to see you!”

“You knocked out my body guard Finn you idiot, how am I going to explain that?”

The sickening sound of Clarke being slapped makes Lexa’s stomach drop.

“HEY! Watch your mouth!”

It’s all Lexa needs to hear before she’s sprinting towards them, spear tackling the perpetrator to the ground. The two of them struggle as Finn recovers from the initial shock of being tackled. He lands an elbow to Lexa’s jaw, its enough to make her adrenalin peak. Its all muscle memory from there, its raw and not at all by the books. But this son of a bitch had just slapped Clarke and that’s all Lexa can think, all she can feel is pure and utter hatred.

Punch after punch she lands until a pair of arms try to wrap themselves around her. She shrugged them off with ease, but they come back, “LEXA! Stop! Stop!”

The desperate way Clarkes’ voice breaks as Lexa raises her fist makes her falter. Distracts her enough not to land another blow.

“Please. Just stop.” The blonde begs frantically.

Lexa scrunches her brows in confusion. Surely, she’s not standing up for him, Lexa thinks. After a beat or two Lexa grits her teeth together and pulls Finn to his feet, her hand around his throat. She squeezes it enough to make him choke.

“If you EVER, touch her again, I’ll kill you. Nod if you understand.”

The slight bob of his head and Lexa squeezes her hand around his throat once more before throwing him away from her.

“Leave. NOW!”

Finn Collins sputters and gasps for air before spitting on the ground and scurrying away, back to what ever rock he had crawled out from.

 

Lexa watches him leave, watches as his silhouette disappears, before tuning back to a tear stained Clarke Griffin. Lexa slowly moves towards the blonde and with out much thought reaches out to gently brush her fingers against Clarkes red cheek. She hisses in pain and Lexa recoils her hand as if she herself had dealt the blow.

Clarke sniffles and brings her own hand to her eyes and madly wipes away the tears that had escaped their prison.

The sound of Indra groaning and coming too reminds Lexa she still has a job to do.

“Linc, I’ve got her, we’re out back by the fountain. Send Anya, have an agent down. Parties over.”

“Sha Heda.” Comes his swift response.

The Brunette sheds her jacket and wraps it around the blonde’s shoulders. She pulls her tight to her body, allows Clarke to use her for support. I’ll be strong for the both of us she thinks.

Anya appears moments later, shadowed by Raven and Octavia. Clarke lets go of Lexa only to be engulfed by her best friends’ arms. They all talk over one another as they try to understand what had happened.

“Not out here.” Lexa interrupts and cocks her head towards the house.

They all nod in succession and make their way towards the house.  The younger Woods’ sibling shares a knowing glance with her sister.

“I got it.” She affirms as she helps Indra to sit up.

She tails them as they make their way back the house.

 

*****

The knock came well after 3am. It was soft but still echoed in the quiet of the halls. They had all left. The party guests hours ago, Indra had been whisked off to the hospital for observation. Concussion most likely. Raven, Octavia and Anya had been the last to leave.

The door opens.

“You wanted to see me.”

The blonde is fresh faced with damp hair. She sports a pair of matching sponge bob Pj’s which Lexa can’t help but find endearing.

“I just wanted to say thank you and to apologise for being a dick earlier. You were only trying to do your job, and I always seem to make your life more difficult. Can’t say I don’t keep you on your toes though.”

It’s a dry joke, one made to mask the pain, the sadness in her eyes it makes Lexa shiver.

“You’re certainly something else, that’s for sure.”

“Is that compliment or an insult?”

“Take it as you will.” Lexa smirks earning a chuckle from the pop star.

There’s a beat of silence before Clarke looks at her feet before speaking, “Lexa, about Finn.”

“I’m not going to pretend to understand, but just know, I’m not here to judge, that’s not part of the job. Your safety is my number one priority. I just can’t help but feel I let you down tonight.”

‘You didn’t!” Clarke replies fiercely. “The Finn things it’s just. Its complicated. He’s sick, he doesn’t know he’s doing it. Rehab has been hard, and he’s relapsed. He’s a good guy.” She babbles her eyes scanning the expanse of Lexa’s face.

Lexa merely sighs and shakes he head. “Clarke,” her tongue popping the ‘k’ as she all but whispers her name, “He may be sick, but that doesn’t mean you get to be his punching bag. You deserve to be loved like you’re the most precious thing in the world”

The younger woman swallows back her tears, swallows the lump in her throat and croaks, “I know that.”

Lexa nods solemnly and with tight lips smiles sadly at Clarke.

“You’ll stay tonight right?” Clarke asks as she wraps her arms round herself self-consciously.

“It’s my shift.”

“No I mean. Could you, could you maybe stay. Like in the house. It’s just, I’m…”

The word scared goes unspoken.

“If you need me here, I’ll stay.”

“I need you.” It’s almost a plea, an unintended admission.

“I’m here.” Lexa reassures, “Sleep Clarke, you’re safe.”

As if on cue, the pop star hides a yawn behind her hand. “Goodnight.”

“Night Clarke.”

The door closes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i think this is my favourite chapter so far.  
> Let me know what you guys think


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